South Washington County campaign complaint dismissed

A judge has dismissed the campaign-finance complaint against a committee supporting tax levies in the South Washington County school district.

Administrative Law Judge Barbara Case ruled Friday there was not enough evidence to move forward with two complaints filed by Woodbury resident Andrea Mayer-Bruestle alleging improper disclosure of donations by the Committee for VOTE, or 833 YesYesYes.

Mayer-Bruestle initially filed a nine-part complaint but withdrew some of the allegations. Others were dismissed before a probable-cause hearing Nov. 4.

Of the three tax requests the committee supported, voters on Nov. 5 approved the renewal of an existing levy and a new operating levy, but rejected a request for money to buy land for a new school.

At the hearing, Mayer-Bruestle argued the committee filed incomplete paperwork regarding donations. A committee report listed a $2,200 cash balance but no contributions during the reporting period.

Mayer-Bruestle also said the committee used a conference room at a law office without disclosing the cost as in-kind services. She estimated the value of using that room was $2,655.

Attorney Alan Weinblatt said the committee's cash balance was carried over from a previous campaign, although they under-reported the amount by $79 due to a clerical error.

He said Mayer-Bruestle had no facts to support her allegation that using a conference room amounted to $2,655 of in-kind services.

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"I'm asking the administrative law judge not only to dismiss it, but determine it is frivolous," Weinblatt said of the complaint.

Mayer-Bruestle responded that she is not an attorney and provided the best evidence she could.

"It matters where that money came from," she said. "It is not a frivolous claim."